May and June News
It's that time of year again when potatoes change from old to new, the quality always suffers this time of year due to the skin texture of new potatoes. You'd expect a rise at this time of year because the stocks harvested last autumn are beginning to run out. However, high wheat and rice prices (food prices are up 33% overall, according to reports in the Times) have increased demand for the humble spud, and the weak pound has applied more upward pressure. Ware, JacketsMids are all up and ordinary Washed Potatoes are bound to follow.
This time of year it's important to store root product correctly as below.
- Keep stocks to a minimum
- Always store root crops in a dark storeroom/cupboard and keep the lids closed
- Never leave in direct sunlight
The first Cornish new potatoes have arrived and are expensive about £2.50 per kilo this prices will change every week, we will send new potatoes prices out every week to all as the market price normally comes down by about 25% per week.
Vegetable
News is more difficult. As the old crop carrots finish, we will rely on some Scottish, French and Italian varieties by the end of the month and moreover parsnips, swedes and turnips are all best avoided. Courgettes will improve and yellow courgettes from Holland are a much better buy. If you have never tried them Pak Choi and Chinese leaves are all at their best give them a go. Spanish leeks will replace the English crop by the end of the month as the English tends to be woody. English asparagus will remain relatively cheap throughout the month (depending on the weather) but the season can end abruptly. French wild asparagus is also available looks like pale green heads of wheat and are a rare delicacy. French Violet asparagus will be on the market in limited quantities. Towards the end of the month, you should be able to get hold of white asparagus from the Black Forest! This is widely acknowledged as the best of all white asparagus with perfect grading and a delicate flavour. Curly Kale is bolting (beginning to flower), so has disappeared from the market. Savoy Cabbages are scarcer and dearer and White Cabbage is up again. Make the most of our Late English Parsnips. We'll have to switch to Spanish soon.Salads
Salads will improve still further with home-grown iceberg arriving mid-month alongside Lollo Rosso, Ockleaf and Endive. As light levels improve, the flavour of the Dutch salad tomatoes will get better and some good local English toms should be available, ask your local supplier about availability and like strawberries tomatoes should be warmed to room temperature before serving. Cucumbers will ease in price as the Dutch second crop starts early in the month. Radicchio from Italy is likely to be astronomically expensive as hail storms in mid April in growing areas are said to have damaged over 80% of the crop so stick with the other lettuce. Chicory will be more expensive red hot peppers prices are the ones to avoid as red and yellow pepper prices went though the roof last week with red the most affected costing £5 per kilo this is down to the Spanish and Israel finishing.
Fruit
Soft fruit and berries are more attractive this month so choose Belgian or Dutch El Santa strawberries for a consistent product. The El Santa berry has been a reliable favorite for many years but does not have great holding qualities. There will also be some English fruit coming through. Remember to take out the fruit from refrigeration and serve at room temperature in order to bring out the flavors of the berry.
Also on offer this month will be large-berried raspberries (including the mildly sweet golden) as well as Pink Dessert gooseberries. Plump blueberries will also be more affordable. From the Continent, there will be blackberries and redcurrants but prices will remain high initially. Grapes tend to be indifferent during May as it falls between seasons.
Stone fruit will start to improve rapidly especially towards the end of the month. A word of warning - much of the early cropping is done when the fruit is a little too immature and simply in a rush to get it on the market.. More mature, sweeter fruit is best sampled during mid to late June and July. However peaches, nectarines, glossy red USA cherries ("Bing") and apricots will all start to appear. Morocco produced the first peaches and nectarines last year and Spain soon followed on. Good quality Spanish Galia and French Charentais and Canteloupe are expected early in the month. Banana and Lemons remain high in price this situation is not expected to change much over the next three months.